Diphtheria is
a serious infection caused by strains
of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae
How many kids died from diphtheria?
Diphtheria is fatal in between 5% and 10% of cases. In children under five years and adults over 40 years, the fatality rate may be as much as 20%. In 2013, it resulted in
3,300 deaths
, down from 8,000 deaths in 1990.
Why is diphtheria uncommon now?
Diphtheria is
extremely rare
in the United States and other developed countries, thanks to widespread vaccination against the disease.
Can you get diphtheria if vaccinated?
You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine
. FACT: Diphtheria can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines. FACT: You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine. infected person’s nose, throat, eyes and/or skin lesions.
Can adults get diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection. It spreads easily and happens quickly, and mainly affects the nose and throat. Children under 5 and
adults over 60 years old are particularly at risk for getting it
.
Where is diphtheria most commonly found?
Endemic in many countries in
Asia
, the South Pacific, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Since 2016, respiratory diphtheria outbreaks have occurred in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Haiti, South Africa, and Yemen.
What is black diphtheria?
The
throat infection
causes a gray to black, tough, fiber-like covering, which can block your airways. In some cases, diphtheria infects your skin first and causes skin lesions. Once you are infected, the bacteria make dangerous substances called toxins.
What does diphtheria look like?
The classic case of diphtheria is an upper respiratory infection caused by bacteria. It produces a gray pseudomembrane, or a covering that
looks like a membrane
, over the lining of the nose and throat, around the area of the tonsils.
What is the putrid throat illness?
Medical Definition of Putrid throat
Putrid throat: a historic term for
a severely inflamed throat, with tissue destruction, and fetid odor
, often due to strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis) or diphtheria.
What is the prevention of diphtheria?
Vaccination. Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best way to prevent diphtheria. In the United States, there are four vaccines used to prevent diphtheria:
DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td
. Each of these vaccines prevents diphtheria and tetanus; DTaP and Tdap also help prevent pertussis (whooping cough).
Which body part is affected by diphtheria?
Diphtheria can infect
the respiratory tract
(parts of the body involved in breathing) and skin. In the respiratory tract, it causes a thick, gray coating to build up in the throat or nose. This coating can make it hard to breathe and swallow. Diphtheria skin infections can cause open sores or shallow ulcers.
What age is diphtheria vaccine given?
DT Generic : Doctors give this vaccine in a 5-shot series to babies and children
6 weeks through 6 years old
. Doctors only use this vaccine for children who should not get whooping cough vaccines. Td Generic : Doctors give this vaccine every 10 years as a booster shot to people 7 years or older.
What is the main cause of diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a
serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae
that make a toxin (poison). It is the toxin that can cause people to get very sick. Diphtheria bacteria spread from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing.
What diphtheria smells like?
Diphtheria is caused by bacterial infection with Corynebacterium diphtheria. Diphtheria usually affects the larynx or the lower and upper respiratory tracts and causes a sore throat. Some patients with diphtheria have a sickening,
sweetish or putrid odour
in their breath (19).
What are the types of diphtheria?
There are two types of diphtheria:
respiratory and cutaneous
. Respiratory diphtheria involves the nose, throat and tonsils, and cutaneous diphtheria involves the skin. Cutaneous diphtheria is discussed below.
What are the long term effects of diphtheria?
Damage to the heart muscle (myocarditis) Nerve damage
(polyneuropathy) Loss of the ability to move (paralysis) Kidney failure.
